Cost of Herceptin - Weekly vs. 3 Weekly

[Lolly]

Well, there's the amount that's billed and the amount the insurance actually pays.
My last weekly Herceptin tx was billed at $1,360(this is just the Herceptin cost, not the additional items), and the insurance paid $845. I went to 3 weekly after that, and my most recent statement shows Herceptin billed at $4,512 and out of that amount the insurance paid $2,790.
What this means is that the person who doesn't have insurance MUST NEGOTIATE with the provider regarding the cost of the treatment by asking what the provider normally receives from insurance for a Herceptin treatment and asking for the same rate, but be sure to get it in writing. If they say this isn't possible, then shop around if you can. There are other clinics and doctors.
Hugs,
Lolly

[Christine]

My triple dose is approx.$4,3OO, and we pay some out of pocket. The good news is the insurance covers at 100% after we pay our $2,000 out of pocket expense for the year. So we will pay $2,000 every year, plus office visit co-pays.
Some oncs are having the patients pay at every visit,'cause the office pays for the herceptin when ordered. Lab fees and scans are included towards the deductible. Keep track of your insurance payments. Mistakes happen.

[Lolly]

Yes, it really does help to keep track of the statements, I've caught several errors and saved some additional expense that way. We also have an annual maximum cap on out-of-pocket expenses, but if we didn't have insurance we'd have to pay the full amount that is billed unless we were able to negotiate the discount that the insurance company receives, or apply to Genentech for help. It is hard to imagine how we'd manage without insurance.
hugs,Lolly